Chapter 129: Secrets Unveiled
“The Blood Cult…”
When people thought of the Demonic Cult, they usually pictured the Heavenly Demon Cult, the group that followed Master Heavenly Demon, but it was generally a collective term for religious groups that disrupted social order.
The Blood Cult stood out even among the forces called the Demonic Cult.
Because its heterodoxy and ferocity went too far, it was classified as the Ultimate Heterodox Path even by the unorthodox path, and the Heavenly Demon Cult categorized them as vicious demons that were completely out of the question.
It was an existence that all factions—orthodox, unorthodox, and demonic—treated as an enemy.
The Blood Cult was a place that could truly be called the public enemy of Martial World itself.
“Did you not see it wrong?”
“That could be the case. Even for the same martial art, light and shadow can diverge depending on the direction of interpretation. It is not as if orthodox martial arts lack techniques to temporarily erupt force. In fact, there have been attempts to mix in the subtleties of the unorthodox path. Well, I suppose it could also be called the madness at the beginning of a qi deviation.”
Even though he asserted that orthodox martial arts did not have such aspects, various possibilities flowed out from Senior Jang Mun-gyeong.
“In any case, we just need to verify it.”
Momentum gathered around Senior Jang Mun-gyeong’s body as he sneered lightly.
“Thoroughly.”
He had pushed me forward earlier, but now he looked ready to step in himself.
Along with that, he assigned another task to me.
“You look after the children who went inside. Now that we have seen such a thing exist, we never know what might happen.”
Feeling his concern for Young Lady Jang So-wol, I nodded without a word.
Indeed, the signs of a battle taking place inside the manor were felt.
He also distributed the work to the rest of the group.
“The rest of you, control the surroundings. Make sure there is no harm to civilians.”
Baek Mu-ho and Beom-gak, who were fully prepared, flinched. Creases formed between their brows, as if they had intended to go inside with me.
“We…”
“To see if it is the martial arts of the Blood Cult, I need to hold back my hand appropriately. Since we do not know what they will do in the meantime, your roles are important.”
It meant that although he could slice them into pieces at once if he resolved to, he had to slice them slowly to find out if it was truly the Blood Cult’s martial arts.
If civilian damage occurred in the meantime, it would also adversely affect the Bright Fate Escort Agency, which was just preparing to stand on its feet.
At the logic they had no choice but to accept, Baek Mu-ho and Beom-gak gnashed their teeth while looking at the other martial artists of the Defeng Yin Clan.
“Then, I will head inside.”
It would be perfectly fine to leave this spot to them.
I was about to leap and cross the battlefield at once, but a chilling sensation was felt.
“Where do you think you are going?!”
Yin Ji-seung’s blow, having sensed my movement, swept toward me.
It was a response fitting an extremely reckless action, but I also had something I trusted.
Slice!
A sword strike that had extended at some point, which even my qi-sensing did not catch, blew away Yin Ji-seung’s fingers.
“From the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes, I will slice you into pieces the thickness of a sheet of paper from now on.”
‘Oh my.’
This was absolutely no joke.
That man would truly be able to slice a person to the thickness of a sheet of paper.
Alive.
Did he perhaps have some bad history with the Blood Cult?
‘The Blood Cult…’
Although he said he was not sure, from what I could see, he seemed to be more than ninety percent certain.
If it was the discernment of none other than Senior Jang Mun-gyeong, the matter was settled.
From the perspective of the Defeng Yin Clan, it was bad luck.
Had Senior Jang Mun-gyeong not been in this place, it would have ended with just one vicious story circulating in the martial world.
Well, at best, it would have been wrapped up to the extent that his mind and body were disturbed due to the beginning of succumbing to the demonic path.
Either way, there would have been no case of immediately thinking of the Blood Cult.
I had thought that sweeping and shaking down even the Defeng Yin Clan would be a tedious task, but if the Blood Cult was mentioned, the story changed.
Since things had turned out this way, it could be easily resolved even if only Senior Jang Mun-gyeong moved.
Still, since we were already doing this, we had to crush them thoroughly.
I inquired with my masters if there was any information I could receive from them.
“Do you know anything about the Blood Cult?”
[They are people who did not exist in my era.]
Displeasure was felt from Master Bodhidharma, as if the existence of the Blood Cult was not very pleasant.
“I know the Blood Cult has a fairly long history, but I guess it wasn’t to that extent. Then, would Master Heavenly Demon not know either?”
[Well. He takes charge of frying demons in the Hell of Boiling Cauldrons, but since the targets are mostly the children who followed him, I do not think he would know that well.]
“Is that so.”
[If you wish, I will find out for you, even if it means suffering a loss in karma.]
“Mmm…”
It felt quite burdensome because I felt like I was causing trouble for my masters.
‘I have a feeling that there is a reason why I felt particularly disgusted.’
But for some reason, it was difficult to just let this matter pass.
“Please do.”
[Very well. I shall move immediately.]
With those words, Master Bodhidharma’s voice was no longer heard.
[They are bastards who existed in my era.]
Instead, Master Zhang Sanfeng’s voice was heard.
[Were quite troublesome bastards.]
“Even by your standards, Master?”
[Yes, even by my standards.]
For such an evaluation to come from none other than Master Zhang Sanfeng’s standards meant that the danger of the Blood Cult went beyond limits.
Suddenly, the weight carried by the name Blood Cult hit me hard.
[When you think about it, you might find it a bit strange. An ordinary person would naturally think so. Why are there people who do such crazy things? Why are there insane fools who follow crazy deeds? Even if they obtain power that way, if the end result is becoming a madman, what meaning is there in that?]
“Yes.”
If the price of obtaining power was becoming a demon treated as a public enemy of Martial World, what meaning would there be in that.
Any normal person would think so.
But listening to Master Zhang Sanfeng’s words, the words to follow were anticipated.
There was a reason.
A reason for ending up in the Blood Cult.
A reason for ending up following them.
[What if talent were given to those without talent? What if a dullard could obtain average talent, and an ordinary person could glimpse the talent of a genius?]
Hearing Master Zhang Sanfeng’s words, the quality of the story suddenly changed.
“Is that possible?”
[The original power flows in human blood. If one uses that, changing one’s constitution is also possible. Though it is a method that can be called the peak of heterodoxy. Furthermore, this great art changes the constitution in most cases. If it only succeeds properly, demonic nature can also be minimized.]
“Wow…”
Because I had experienced the time when I was a dullard, it was easily understood.
In fact, there was no lack of similar things in the orthodox Martial World.
If one received the Great Crown-Opening Art from an outstanding expert at a time when impurities in the body were low, their bones and muscles would become suitable for learning martial arts, and if they received Marrow Cleansing, their qi and blood would become large and wide, making them more advantageous than others.
However, this could not be cast unless one was an extraordinary expert, and since the caster’s internal energy was permanently consumed, it was a method that only an extremely select few could enjoy.
If anyone could enjoy such a thing with few side effects?
‘I can see why a crazy place like the Blood Cult could maintain its existence until now… Huh? Wait a minute.’
Giving talent?
Changing the constitution?
While recalling those words, there was one thing that flashed through my mind.
“Can such a person also learn orthodox martial arts?”
[The body is a vessel, and martial arts are the contents filled inside that vessel. There may be cases where they do not harmonize with each other, but if it is a body that has not learned demonic arts, it should be possible. …Especially if it is a martial art that has become incomplete due to impatience.]
“Crazy…”
Perhaps knowing the meaning of the words I was trying to say, Master Zhang Sanfeng gave the answer to my question by adding words behind it.
It was said that the first disciple of the Zhongnan Sect who died in the attack at Shaolin was the second son of the Defeng Yin Clan.
Although he was famous as a rising star who boasted natural talent as an unprecedented genius, Yin Si-hoo felt a great sense of inferiority toward that younger brother.
Although it was a word said in passing during his time as a lay disciple of the Wudang Sect, I remembered it.
“I… I also wouldn’t end up as a mere lay disciple if I had the support of the family!”
At the time, I passed it over without much thought, but the moment the assumption that the Defeng Yin Clan was truly infatuated with the Blood Cult entered, the interpretation became different.
‘A first disciple of the Nine Great Sects received the Blood Cult’s great art?’
It was a shocking story.
No, it was just crazy talk.
‘Why the Zhongnan Sect? No, not why, but could it be because it was the Zhongnan Sect?’
Although the Zhongnan Sect was a Taoist sect influenced by the Quanzhen Taoist lineage, it was only classified as such because the founder of Zhongnan was from a lay lineage of Quanzhen.
In reality, founded by a military general, the martial arts themselves were known to have a strong practical tendency.
What if they chose the Zhongnan Sect because it was most suitable for a body whose constitution had been improved through the Blood Cult’s great art?
Although it was close to speculation, the reason why a person of the Defeng Yin Clan in Hubei abandoned the nearby Wudang Sect and chose the Zhongnan Sect was easily understood.
‘Though it ended up going wrong somehow, was this attempt the first time?’
As my thoughts led up to this point, there was a memory that followed.
Aunt Han San-wol, who used to express wariness toward geniuses who suddenly stood out.
Why did the memory of that time come to mind?
“…Hmm?”
But before I could think deeply about it, there was something that disturbed my qi-sensing.
Boom!
“Ugh!!”
Along with a roaring sound, Young Lady Jang So-wol’s body was sent flying. Although she did not suffer a fatal injury, she seemed to have taken a fair amount of damage.
As a dark shadow chasing Young Lady Jang So-wol surged up, I blocked the front reflexively.
“What kind of brat is this again?!”
Without being flustered even by the sudden intervention, he deployed a lethal killing technique.
Opposing him with Listening Jin and synesthesia, I grasped the opponent’s movement.
Simultaneously, I broke the opponent’s technique and reached out, creating a gap.
Spirit-Descending Hand.
My right hand touched the man’s neck as if he had just given it to me.
“…Gah?!”
Since I judged him as an enemy, I did not use my hands half-heartedly.
As I swung him hard toward the building next to us, force concentrated in my hand.
As if Yi Hwa were nearby, the divine power of fire rose up vigorously.
Kaboom!
Debris scattered in all directions from the blow struck toward the collapsing tile-roofed house.
A movement digging through the debris pouring down like a rain shower was caught.
A person rushing in while hiding his body among the fragments!
Whoosh!
As if Yi Hwa were keeping him in check, flames soared for a moment, but he dodged them lightly and dug into me!
Boom!!
Once again, a shockwave arose!
The debris of the broken and crushed tile-roofed house scattered in all directions, drawing a round circle from the location of collision.
I shook my hands to disperse the impact of the collision and frowned naturally.
‘Three times?’
In that brief moment, three exchanges of techniques followed.
If not for Master Zhang Sanfeng’s Spirit-Descending Hand, I would have taken a hit.
Above all.
‘What is this energy?’
A black haze-like substance rose from my fist, which had exchanged blows with this person.
It was an energy that remained even after the collision, like embers gnawing at charcoal, trying to eat away at my body.
This was the first time I felt such an energy.
[It is nothing much. It is just an energy that maliciously utilizes yin energy like Yin-Cold Qi. It is not to the extent of causing you harm.]
While I was examining the unfamiliar energy for a moment, Master Zhang Sanfeng explained.
It meant that it was a dangerous energy if it were not me.
The reason why Young Lady Jang So-wol took damage was understood.
‘This one, however, doesn’t make me feel that much disgust. What on earth is the standard?’
The strange thing was that the terrible disgust felt from Yin Ji-seung was not felt much in this energy.
The one who deployed the suspicious energy used the force of the collision with me to pull back, and before I knew it, he climbed onto the roof of another building and looked down at me.
“Whew! Hot, isn’t it?”
Steam rose from the opponent’s fist, where the heat left behind by the divine power of fire had not yet completely disappeared.
“Extreme Yang energy. It is too fierce to be an Extreme Yang energy achieved by the Taoist Pure Yang Art. I have never heard of such an energy. Hm!”
He looked at me with interested eyes and grinned.
“I’m in a dilemma. Whether to kill you here, or capture you. All three of you.”
“Hmph! Just try it!”
Young Lady Jang So-wol, who had recovered herself before long, got furious beside me, and Yi Hwa also narrowed her fine eyebrows slightly, gathering her fingers as if she would snap them at any moment.
“He’s my opponent.”
I pushed the two behind me, and stepped forward.
The power that this suspicious stranger exerted required caution in handling. Not that I ignored the skills of Young Lady Jang So-wol or Yi Hwa, but they said it is best to leave rice cakes to the rice cake shop.
‘In a brief moment, three stances were deployed. A guy who is fast and even uses a malicious energy.’
Me facing him is the best.
A lesson from Master Zhang Sanfeng was delivered.
[Divine power is indeed a strong force. However, the martial arts you deploy lately are too bound by it. This master’s martial arts are not so small or narrow to be bound by such a level.]
The voice of my master, more reassuring than anything else in the world, was heard heavily.
[I shall teach you a lesson.]